Trump Directs ICE to Expand Deportations in Democratic-Run Cities, Undeterred by Protests

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Trump Directs ICE to Expand Deportations in Democratic-Run Cities, Undeterred by Protests

(Headline USA)  President Donald Trump on Sunday directed federal immigration officials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities, a move that comes after large protests erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Trump in a social media posting called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials “to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”

He added that to reach the goal officials ”must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.”

Trump’s declaration comes after weeks of increased enforcement, and after Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump’s immigration policies, said ICE officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump’s second term.

At the same time, the Trump administration has directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels, after Trump expressed alarm about the impact aggressive enforcement is having on those industries, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke only on condition of anonymity.

Protests over federal immigration enforcement raids have been flaring up around the country.

Opponents of Trump’s immigration policies took to the streets as part of the “no kings” demonstrations Saturday that came as Trump held a massive parade in Washington for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.

Saturday’s protests were mostly peaceful.

But police in Los Angeles used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to clear out protesters after the event ended.

Officers in Portland, Oregon, also fired tear gas and projectiles to disperse a crowd that protested in front of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building well into the evening.

Trump made the call for stepped up enforcement in Democratic-controlled cities on social media as he was making his way to the Group of Seven economic summit in Alberta, Canada.

He suggested to reporters as he departed the White House for the G7 on Sunday evening that his decision to deploy National Guard troops to Los Angeles was the reason the protests in that city went peacefully.

“If we didn’t have the National Guard on call and ready, they would rip Los Angeles apart,” Trump said.

The shift also come as Trump is grappling with the impact his mass deportation effort is having on key industries that rely on workers in the country illegally.

Trump posted on his Truth Social site Thursday that he heard from hotel, agriculture and leisure industries that his “very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them” and promised that changes would be made .

That same day Tatum King, an official with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit, wrote to regional leaders telling them to halt investigations of the agriculture industry, including meatpackers, as well as of restaurants and hotels, according to the U.S. official.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

Update: Federal Charges Brought Against Minnesota Shooter

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Update: Federal Charges Brought Against Minnesota Shooter

(Jon Styf, The Center Square) Federal stalking and murder charges have been filed against 57-year-old Vance Boelter in a 20-page charging document on Monday in what was described as the “stuff of nightmares.”

Boelter is expected to have a 1:30 p.m. appearance in court.

The charges include firearms offenses, stalking using interstate commerce and murder for the stalking and killing of Minnesota House Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband along with the shooting of state Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and his wife. The Hoffmans are expected to make a full recover.

Murder charges from Hennepin County have also been filed.

Acting U.S. Attorney for District of Minnesota Joe Thompson said that, based on prior cases, he believes that the federal charges will be litigated first.

“Political assassinations are rare, they strike at the very core of our democracy,” Thompson said.

Thompson detailed many of Boelter’s action, including wearing a “hyper-realistic silicone mask” while knocking on the two politicians’ doors.

Thompson said that he “stalked his victims like prey.”

Boelter drove a black Ford SUV with emergency lights on and license plates marked as police while displaying a police badge and carrying a Beretta 9mm. Boelter allegedly repeatedly knocked on the doors, yelling “this is the police, open the door” before the door was opened.

“It is pretty clear from the evidence that he has been planning this for a long time,” Thompson said.

Further charges can be filed later and Thompson said that the death penalty is possible for some of the charges but “it is too early to tell.”

“We brought the charges that we thought are appropriate right now,” he said.

Boelter also stopped at the homes of two other Minnesota officials, one who was not home and another in New Hope where Boelter encountered a police officer, before proceeding to the Hortmans’ home in Brooklyn Park.

• The is an updated versions of the story published earlier below:

———-

 10:30 a.m. update

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office plans to file first-degree murder charges against Vance Boelter, who was arrested by a group of 20 SWAT teams in Green Isle, Minnesota, on Sunday night after allegedly shooting two Minnesota lawmakers.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that she filed second-degree murder charges in order to get a warrant for the arrest of suspect Vance Boelter, 57, that could be used nationwide. Moriarty said that those were the highest charges that could be filed at that time.

Federal charges against Boelter are expected to be announce later Monday morning while Boelter has his first scheduled appearance at 1:30 p.m.

Boelter is accused of dressing as a police officer and shooting and killing House Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband.

Boelter is accused of first going to the nearby home of State Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and shooting both him and his wife.

Boelter was booked into jail early Monday and was expected to be picked up by federal agents at 10 a.m. on Monday.

“Given the scale of this investigation, the review of evidence will take time,” Moriarty said.

Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt said that Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, are expected to make a full recovery.

Yvette said in a text message posted by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, R-Minnesota, that she was shot eight times and her husband was shot seven times.

“We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark,” Yvette wrote. “We have no words. There is never a place for this kind of political hate.”

• The is an updated version of the story published earlier below:

———-

 Police found three AK-47 style rifles, a 9 mm handgun and a list of names of public officials in the Ford SUV of murder suspect Vance Boelter, according to a warrant request that was under seal until Boelter was arrested late Sunday.

Police also say they found a ballistic vest, disassembled 9mm firearm, a mask and a gold police-style badge, according to the warrant.

That warrant was released after Boelter was detained in the woods near Green Isle, Minnesota, following what Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called a “complex and dangerous manhunt.”

Boelter is accused of dressing as a police officer and shooting and killing House Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband.

Boelter is accused of first going to the nearby home of State Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and shooting both him and his wife.

The Hoffman’s daughter, Hope, had called 911 and reported the shooting.

Brooklyn Park Police then sent officers to the Hortmans’ home, where they saw the suspect, with the same Ford SUV, shoot Hortmans’ husband.

After exchanging fire with police, Boelter escaped the area and the manhunt began.

“Boelter exploited the trust our uniforms are meant to represent,” Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson said in a Sunday night press conference.

US Sent Israel Hundreds of Missiles Days Before Attack on Iran

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US Sent Israel Hundreds of Missiles Days Before Attack on Iran

Kyle Anzalone, Libertarian Institute) Just days before the surprise and unprovoked Israeli war on Iran, the US shipped Tel Aviv 300 Hellfire missiles. An Israeli official implied they were used in the assault.

On Friday, Israel launched an offensive war against Iran, striking military sites, nuclear facilities, and carrying out targeted assassinations of top officials. Middle East Eye reports that on Tuesday, just three days before the attack began, the US sent 300 Hellfire missiles to Israel.

One Israeli official indicated that the precision air-to-ground munitions were used in targeted attacks on top civilian and military leaders. Ali Shamkhani, a senior aide to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in his home on Friday.

Shamkhani was part of the negotiation team engaging with the US to work out a new nuclear agreement. American and Iranian officials have engaged in five rounds of talks, with a sixth previously scheduled for Sunday. Tehran recently indicated it believed a deal was possible.

However, following the start of Israel’s undeclared war, Iran called off talks with the US. New York Times UN correspondent Farnaz Fassihi said Iranian officials made it clear that Tehran views Shamkhani’s assassination as “Israel targeting and killing nuclear diplomacy with the US.”

Israeli officials say President Donald Trump played a key role in deceiving the Islamic Republic into believing Tel Aviv was not planning to attack, and the window for diplomacy was still open. Additionally, Tel Aviv says Washington provided intelligence that Israeli forces used in the attack.

Since taking office, Trump has supplied Israel with billions of dollars in arms. In April, the US sent Israel nine plane-loads of bunker-busting bombs. At the time, Israel’s KAN news agency explained the massive weapons shipment came “in anticipation of a possible joint US-Israeli strike, should nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran fail.”

This article originally appeared at The Libertarian Institute.

Netanyahu Says Israel’s Bombing Campaign in Iran Could Result in Regime Change

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Netanyahu Says Israel’s Bombing Campaign in Iran Could Result in Regime Change

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel’s bombing campaign in Iran “could certainly result” in regime change in Tehran.

The Israeli leader made the comments in an interview with Fox News host Brett Baier as Israeli missiles pounded Iran for a third day and Iranian counterattacks struck Israeli territory. Netanyahu claimed regime change was possible because the “regime is weak.”

“We’re geared to do whatever is necessary to achieve our dual aim, to remove … two existential threats – the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat,” Netanyahu said.

Two US officials claimed to Reuters on Sunday that President Trump vetoed an Israeli plan to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a report that Netanyahu wouldn’t comment on. There’s reason to be skeptical of claims from US and Israeli officials related to the war since the US and Israel reportedly engaged in a deception campaign ahead of the Israeli attacks on Iran.

Netanyahu also claimed that he shared intelligence with the US that Iran could have developed a nuclear weapon within months or a year, but the official position of US intelligence agencies is that there’s no evidence Tehran is seeking a nuclear bomb. Even based on Netanyahu’s own timeline, the US would have had time to continue negotiations with Iran.

Another claim Netanyahu made was that Iran wants to “kill” President Trump, and he insinuated that Tehran was involved in the two assassination attempts made against Trump when he was campaigning last year, even though there is no evidence that Iran was involved in either plot.

The Israeli leader told Baier that the US and Israel have been “fully coordinated” on Iran. “I’ve been in constant contact with President Trump,” he said. “We’ve known each other for many years. And obviously, we informed our American friends and President Trump, our great friend, ahead of time. We did.”

The US has supported the Israeli attack on Iran by preparing Israel’s military with new weapons, providing intelligence, and helping intercept Iranian missiles and drones fired at Israel. Sources have told Antiwar.com Editorial Director Scott Horton that the US is poised to support Israel with airstrikes on Iran, which could start as soon as Monday.

There’s no end in sight to the war that Netanyahu has launched against Iran, as both US and Israeli officials are saying it will last “weeks, not days.” Direct US involvement will almost certainly lead to Iran striking US military bases in the region, which could cause significant American casualties.

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

IMF Wants Gold-Back ZiG to Be Zimbabwe’s Only Currency

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IMF Wants Gold-Back ZiG to Be Zimbabwe’s Only Currency

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) supports the Zimbabwe gold-backed ZiG “fully becoming a national currency.”

Currently, the U.S. dollar serves as the country’s primary currency, with about 80 percent of the country’s transactions using greenbacks.

Also known as Zimbabwe Gold, the ZiG is a structured currency backed primarily by 2.5 tons of gold, along with other foreign exchange reserves, including $100 million USD.

The government introduced the gold-backed currency in an effort to stabilize the country’s financial system in April 2024.

As the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) explained when the currency was introduced, “Given that ZiG is a structured currency deriving its value from gold (a valuable asset), it is likely to maintain a stable value, ceteris paribus. The value of ZiG against USD, therefore, appreciates or depreciates as gold price increases or decreases at the international market. Given the stability of gold price, the ZiG is more likely going to be stable in value currency.”

But that stability ultimately depends on the public’s confidence, and even with the gold backing, Zimbabweans have been slow to adopt the currency because of a deep-seated distrust of the government’s monetary mechanizations.

The skepticism is warranted.

The ZiG was the sixth government attempt to shore up the Zimbabwean currency since 2009.

The Zimbabwe government introduced the ZiG at a rate of 13.56 per dollar. On Sept. 26, the currency was quoted at 14 ZiG per dollar. The next day, the valuation jumped to 24.4 ZiG per dollar, a 43 percent devaluation.

The government took this step, hoping to align the official exchange rate with the unofficial rate on the streets.

This is one of several measures that IMF mission chief Wojciech Maliszewski said need to be in place to boost ZiG adoption by the public.

“Right now, we see good stability in the official market and we also see a convergence between the parallel and official rate. Ideally, we would like to see an elimination of this gap, we would like to see one exchange rate.”

Last year, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa indicated that the government plans to phase out the multicurrency system, with the ZiG becoming the country’s sole legal tender by 2030.

Maliszewski said the IMF does not support additional government devaluations. He thinks the official and unofficial rates will naturally converge if the currency is supported by government fiscal discipline.

That’s a big if.

The country has a long history of rampant inflation. The Zimbabwean dollar (RTGS) lost about 800 percent of its value against the dollar in 2023 alone.

Hyperinflation totally wiped out the value of the Zimbabwe dollar in the early 2000s. In 2009, the government abandoned its currency and adopted foreign currencies – primarily the U.S. dollar (or, more accurately, the Federal Reserve Note).

The African nation reintroduced the Zimbabwe dollar, also known as the bond note, in 2016. It was to be backed by the U.S. dollar loan facility. Then-central bank governor John Mangudya swore the new Zimbabwe dollar would remain on par with the greenback. But the bond note crashed when the government once again began printing excess money. By mid-July 2019, price inflation had increased to 175 percent.

The ZiG was supposed to slam the door on the country’s monetary malfeasance. Backing currency with a hard asset theoretically limits money creation. The government shouldn’t create more notes unless it gets more gold. A gold standard puts a natural brake on monetary expansion.

But merely pegging a currency won’t do the trick if the government can’t resist the temptation to arbitrarily change the peg. A gold standard only works when government officials leave it alone. And as Americans learned in the 1930s, governments can and will quickly unravel a gold standard when it suits their purposes.

Just a few months later, the Zimbabwean government was already pushing miners to produce more gold. This would allow the government to expand the money supply.

“This new currency is anchored on gold production; we have to determine ways to increase production,” Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said in a meeting with miners last year.

Since late 2022, Zimbabwe miners have been required to pay a portion of their royalties to the state in gold. An increase in mine production will increase the country’s gold supply. This would theoretically allow the government to increase the amount of ZiG in circulation while maintaining the current ratio of gold backing.

Simply put, an increase in the gold supply amounts to inflation.

The key to ZiG adoption might be public acceptance, but that’s not the biggest challenge. The hard part is changing the mentality of politicians and bureaucrats who rely on the expansion of the money supply to support spending and grow government. A gold standard only works as long as government officials leave it alone.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Business as Usual: Another Big Budget Deficit in May

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Business as Usual: Another Big Budget Deficit in May

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) After running a surplus in April thanks to tax day, the federal government was back to business as usual in May, spending massive amounts of money and charting another big budget deficit.

At $316 billion, the May budget shortfall was the second-largest of the fiscal year. That drove the fiscal 2024 deficit to $1.36 trillion. That compares to a $1.2 trillion deficit through the same period last year.

Thanks to a healthy increase in government receipts, the deficit was 9 percent smaller than in May 2024, but spending was up significantly year-on-year.

Uncle Sam collected $371.23 billion last month. That was a 14.7 percent increase over May 2024.

It’s a Spending Problem!

This underscores the fact that the U.S. government doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem.

The Trump administration blew through $687.23 billion in May alone. That was 2.5 percent higher than last May.

So far in fiscal 2025, the federal government has spent a staggering $4.85 trillion, an 8 percent increase over the same period in 2024.

You might recall that President Biden promised that the [pretend] spending cuts would save “hundreds of billions” with the debt ceiling deal (aka the [misnamed] Fiscal Responsibility Act).

That never happened.

And the Republicans aren’t doing much better, despite DOGE’s successes in ferreting out wasteful spending. The CBO projects that a budget reconciliation bill moving through Congress would add $2.4 billion to the deficit over the next decade. Supporters claim the tax cuts in the bill will “pay for themselves” by stimulating economic growth and ultimately shrinking the deficit, but history casts significant doubt on this claim.

The ugly truth is the government isn’t committed to cutting spending in any meaningful way, and it always finds new reasons to spend even more, whether for “crises” at home or wars overseas.

The Interest Problem

The federal government is being increasingly burdened by its skyrocketing interest expense. This is one of the reasons President Trump and others in the administration are pressuring the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates.

Interest on the national debt cost $92.23 billion in May. That brought the total interest expense for the fiscal year to $776.34 billion, up 6.7 percent over the same period in 2024.

So far, in fiscal 2025, the federal government has spent more on interest on the debt than it has on national defense ($613 billion) or Medicare ($700 billion). The only higher spending category is Social Security ($1.04 trillion).

Uncle Sam paid $1.13 trillion in interest expenses in fiscal 2024. It was the first time interest expense had ever eclipsed $1 trillion. Projections are for interest expense to break that record in fiscal 2025.

Much of the debt currently on the books was financed at very low rates before the Federal Reserve started its hiking cycle. Every month, some of that super-low-yielding paper matures and has to be replaced by bonds yielding much higher rates. And even after the Federal Reserve cut rates, Treasury yields have pushed upward as demand for U.S. debt sags.

The Big Picture

These big deficits pile onto a national debt that officially topped $36 trillion in November. Currently, the debt level is steady because the federal government is up against the debt ceiling. However, you can expect a huge surge in debt once Congress raises the ceiling. (And it will raise the ceiling.)

Some people claim that borrowing, spending, and big national debts don’t matter.

They do.

According to the national debt clock, the current debt level represents 122.98 percent of the GDP. Studies have shown a debt-to-GDP ratio of over 90 percent retards economic growth by about 30 percent.

And as the Bipartisan Policy Center points out, the growing national debt and the mounting fiscal irresponsibility undermine the dollar.

“Confidence in U.S. creditworthiness may be undermined by a rapidly deteriorating fiscal situation, an increasing concern with federal debt set to grow substantially in the coming years.”

This could lead to lower economic growth, higher unemployment, and less investment wealth.

Lack of confidence in the U.S. fiscal situation could also lower demand for U.S. debt. This would force interest rates on U.S. Treasuries even higher to attract investors, exacerbating the interest payment problem. As already mentioned, we saw a big spike in Treasury yields despite Fed rate cuts. Yields increased again in the wake of the trade war. There is growing evidence that Treasuries are already losing their safe-haven appeal.

Biden ran the debt higher at a dizzying pace, but to be fair, this isn’t just a Biden problem. Every president since Calvin Coolidge has left the U.S. with a bigger national debt than when he took office.

It’s going to take more than DOGE rooting out waste to get the borrowing and spending under control. Even if the Trump administration manages to slash discretionary outlays as promised, that only accounts for 27 percent of total spending. The vast majority is for entitlements, and there is little political will to take the scissors to Social Security or Medicare.

And the sad fact is that, given the political incentives, people in power will always kick the debt can down the road. It is a long-term problem that will require painful measures to fix. Politicians don’t want to create pain. That’s a quick path out of office. So, they will punt the debt problem and spend more to make constituents happy.

This is all well and good, but the problem with playing kick the can down the road is that you eventually run out of road.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for Money Metals with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Man Suspected of Shooting 2 Minnesota Lawmakers is in Custody After Surrendering to Police

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Man Suspected of Shooting 2 Minnesota Lawmakers is in Custody After Surrendering to Police

(Headline USA) The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender Sunday after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge.

Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder. He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Authorities say he also shot Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about 9 miles (about 15 kilometers) away.

“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference after Boelter’s arrest.

The search for Boelter was the “largest manhunt in the state’s history,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. It began when Brooklyn Park officers went to check on Hortman’s home and saw her husband gunned down before the shooter fled.

Authorities on Sunday located a vehicle Boelter was using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived, and a police officer reported that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods, Bruley said. Police set up a large perimeter and called in 20 different tactical teams, divvying up the area and searching for him.

During the search, police said they received information confirming someone was in the woods and searched for hours, using a helicopter and officers on foot, until they found Boelter. He surrendered to police, crawling out to officers in the woods before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said.

A targeted attack

Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the violence likely would’ve continued had Brooklyn Park offices not checked on Hortman’s home, causing Boelter to flee.

The Hoffmans were attacked first at their home in Champin early Saturday. A criminal complaint unsealed after Boelter’s arrest indicated their adult daughter called 911 just after 2 a.m. to say a masked person had come to the door and shot her parents.

After police in nearby Brooklyn Park learned that a lawmaker had been shot, they sent patrol officers to check on the Hortmans’ home.

Brooklyn Park police officers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home, the complaint says. It says they exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled inside the home before escaping the scene. Melissa Hortman was found dead inside, the complaint said.

Authorities said Boelter posed as a police officer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car.

No details on motive

Authorities did not give a motive as they announced Boelter’s arrest.

A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, said two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about healthcare facilities, according to the officials.

A Minnesota official told AP lawmakers who had been outspoken in favor of abortion rights were on the list. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other.

Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Boelter texted friends to apologize for his actions, though he didn’t say what he had done.

“I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” he wrote in messages viewed by AP.

An escalation in political violence

The shootings come as political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions. Lawmakers said they were disturbed by the attacks as Twin Cities residents mourned.

“This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,” Walz said Sunday.

On Sunday evening, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Hoffman expressing appreciation for the outpouring of public support.

“John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,” Yvette Hoffman said in a text that Klobuchar posted on social media. “He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark.”

Brightly colored flowers and small American flags were placed Sunday on the gray marbled stone of the Minnesota State Capitol along with a photo of the Hortmans. People scrawled messages on small notes including, “You were our leader through the hardest of times. Rest in Power.”

Pam Stein came with flowers and kneeled by the memorial. An emotional Stein called Hortman an “absolute powerhouse” and “the real unsung hero of Minnesota government.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

Sources: US Will Enter Israel’s War With Iran

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Sources: US Will Enter Israel’s War With Iran

(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Sources familiar with the matter have told Antiwar.com Editorial Director Scott Horton that the Trump administration is poised to enter Israel’s aggressive war against Iran directly. US airstrikes on Iran could begin as soon as Monday.

Please contact the White House by calling (202-456-7041) or sending an email. Tell them that you do not want the US to enter this disastrous war, which could lead to heavy American casualties at US bases across the Middle East.

The US has supported the war by reportedly providing Israel with intelligence and helping intercept Iranian missiles and drones, but so far, there have been no direct US attacks on Iran. Iranian officials have warned that Tehran would hit US bases in the region in response to any US strikes.

Axios reported on Saturday that Israel is urging the US to join the war since Israel lacks the bunker-busting bombs necessary to do serious damage to Iran’s Fordow plant, which is buried deep underground. An Israeli official told Axios that President Trump had previously suggested the US could strike Fordow.

Trump himself said on Sunday that it was “possible” that the US would get directly involved in the war, which Israel launched early Friday morning with airstrikes across Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started the war under the pretext of preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon. But it was the consensus of the US intelligence community that there was no evidence Iran was working toward a nuclear weapon, and Tehran made clear they were ready to make a deal with the US that would significantly lower uranium enrichment levels and increase oversight of its nuclear program in exchange for US sanctions relief.

Ali Larijani, an aide to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has previously said that the one thing that would make Tehran reconsider its prohibition on the development of nuclear weapons would be a US or Israeli attack.

“We are not moving towards (nuclear) weapons, but if you do something wrong in the Iranian nuclear issue, you will force Iran to move towards that because it has to defend itself,” Larijani said on April 1.

“Iran does not want to do this, but … (it) will have no choice,” he added. “If at some point you (the US) move towards bombing by yourself or through Israel, you will force Iran to make a different decision.”

This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.

Authorities Still Searching for Suspect in Shooting of 2 Minnesota State Lawmakers

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Authorities Still Searching for Suspect in Shooting of 2 Minnesota State Lawmakers

(Headline USA) A massive search was stretching into its second day for a man who authorities say posed as a police officer and fatally shot a Democratic state lawmaker in her suburban Minneapolis home, an act Gov. Tim Walz called “a politically motivated assassination.” Authorities said the suspect also shot and wounded a second lawmaker and was trying to flee the area.

Former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home early Saturday. Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, were injured at their Champlin address, about 9 miles (about 15 kilometers) away.

Authorities identified the suspect as 57-year-old Vance Boelter, and the FBI issued a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. They shared a photo taken Saturday of Boelter wearing a tan cowboy hat and asked the public to report sightings. Hundreds of law enforcement officers fanned out in the search for the suspect.

Authorities had not given any details on a possible motive as of Saturday night.

Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other.

The attacks prompted warnings to other state elected officials and the cancellation of planned “No Kings” demonstrations against President Donald Trump, though some went ahead anyway. Authorities said the suspect had “No Kings” flyers in his car and writings mentioning the names of the victims as well as other lawmakers and officials, though they could not say if he had any other specific targets.

A Minnesota official told AP the suspect’s writings also contained information targeting prominent lawmakers who have been outspoken in favor of abortion rights. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.

Law enforcement agents recovered several AK-style firearms from the suspect’s vehicle, and he was believed to still be armed with a pistol, a person familiar with the matter told AP. The person could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated amid deep political divisions.

“We must all, in Minnesota and across the country, stand against all forms of political violence,” said Walz, a Democrat. He also ordered flags to fly at half-staff in Hortman’s honor.

“Such horrific violence will not be tolerated in the United States of America. God Bless the great people of Minnesota, a truly great place!” President Donald Trump said in a statement.

Police responded to reports of gunfire at the Hoffmans’ home shortly after 2 a.m., Champlin police said, and found the couple with multiple gunshot wounds.

After seeing who the victims were, police sent officers to proactively check on Hortman’s home. There they encountered what appeared to be a police vehicle and a man dressed as an officer at the door, leaving the house.

“When officers confronted him, the individual immediately fired upon the officers who exchanged gunfire, and the suspect retreated back into the home” and escaped on foot, Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said.

Multiple bullet holes could be seen in the front door of Hoffman’s home.

John and Yvette Hoffman each underwent surgery, according to Walz.

Hortman, 55, had been the top Democratic leader in the state House since 2017. She led Democrats in a three-week walkout at the beginning of this year’s session in a power struggle with Republicans. Under a power sharing agreement, she turned the gavel over to Republican Rep. Lisa Demuth and assumed the title speaker emerita.

Hortman used her position as speaker in 2023 to champion expanded protections for abortion rights, including legislation to solidify Minnesota’s status as a refuge for patients from restrictive states who travel to the state to seek abortions — and to protect providers who serve them.

Walz called her a “formidable public servant, a fixture and a giant in Minnesota.”

Hortman and her husband had two adult children.

The initial autopsy reports from the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office gave their cause of death as “multiple gunshot wounds.”

The reports said Melissa Hortman died at the scene while her husband was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Hoffman, 60, was first elected in 2012 and was chair of the Senate Human Services Committee, which oversees one of the biggest parts of the state budget. He and his wife have one daughter.

Boelter was appointed to the workforce development board in 2016 and then reappointed in 2019 to a four-year term that expired in 2023, state records show.

Corporate records show Boelter’s wife filed to create a company called Praetorian Guard Security Services LLC with the same Green Isle mailing address listed for the couple. Boelter’s wife is listed as president and CEO and he is listed as director of security patrols on the company’s website.

The website says the company provides armed security for property and events and features a photo of an SUV painted in a two-tone black and silver pattern similar to a police vehicle. Another photo shows a man in black tactical gear with a military-style helmet and a ballistic vest.

An online resume says Boelter is a security contractor who has worked in the Middle East and Africa, in addition to past managerial roles at companies in Minnesota.

Around 6 a.m., Boelter texted friends to say he had “made some choices,” the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

In the messages, read to reporters by David Carlson, Boelter did not specify what he had done but said: “I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way. … I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused.”

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican from Cold Spring, called the attack “evil” and said she was “heartbroken beyond words” by the killings.

The shootings are the latest in a series of attacks against lawmakers across parties.

In April a suspect set fire to the home of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, forcing him and his family to flee during the Jewish holiday of Passover. The suspect said he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he found him, according to court documents.

In July 2024, Trump was grazed on the ear by one of a hail of bullets that killed a Trump supporter. Two months later a man with a rifle was discovered near the president’s Florida golf course and arrested.

Other incidents include a 2022 hammer attack on the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in their San Francisco home and a 2020 plot by anti-government extremists to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and start a civil war.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he asked Capitol Police to “immediately increase security” for Minnesota Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. He also asked Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, to hold a briefing on member security.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press.

Epstein Files? DOJ Sues Coffee Shop for ‘Anti-Semitism’ Instead

Headline USA Editor
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Epstein Files? DOJ Sues Coffee Shop for ‘Anti-Semitism’ Instead

(José Niño, Headline USA) What began as a civil rights case against an Oakland coffee shop has evolved into a political liability for Pam Bondi, as allies of President Donald Trump accuse her of misplaced focus while larger issues remain unaddressed.

Earlier this month, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland, California, claiming the establishment discriminated against Jewish customers based on their religion.

The lawsuit centers on two incidents where Jewish patrons wearing religious symbols were allegedly denied service and verbally abused by staff and ownership.

On June 10, 2024, Michael Radice, a non-profit director, was reportedly told “You’re the Jew. You’re the Zionist. We don’t want you in our coffee shop” after wearing a Star of David baseball cap. In a separate incident, Jonathan Hirsch was allegedly confronted while with his five-year-old son, with owner Fathi Abdulrahim Harara demanding to know if he was a “Zionist” and calling him derogatory names.

The controversy deepened when the coffee shop introduced provocatively named drinks on the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks, including “Iced In Tea Fada” and “Sweet Sinwar,” referencing the Palestinian intifada (uprising) and deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Bondi defended her decision to file a lawsuit during a Fox News appearance on Wednesday, stating: “We’ve sued them and we’re gonna stop this from happening. And anywhere in the country, if you do this, we’re coming after you.”

Infowars host Owen Shroyer was not pleased by the Bondi-led DOJ spending resources to fight so-called “antisemitic” discrimination. In an X post, he wrote: “No Epstein files. No deep state arrests. Violent riots on the streets, no major arrests of funders or organizers. Letitia James still free. Pam Bondi is focused on *checks notes* antisemitic coffee? Got it.”

Shroyer’s criticism reflects broader disappointment among Trump supporters who expected aggressive prosecution of political opponents and the release of classified documents.

Bondi has so far failed to bring transparency to the Epstein case, instead orchestrating a hollow PR gesture in earlier this year with already-published documents and accusing the FBI of obstruction, as previously reported by Headline USA.

José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino

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